Author: Thomas Wilcox

Our newest Champagne source is RH Coutier, and it’s quickly become a reader favorite. The Coutiers are an old family in Ambonnay (there since 1619), and today produce small-batch Champagnes exclusively from their own organic Grand Cru vineyards.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous calls the Coutier wines “gorgeous…all showing the natural richness of Ambonnay,” and writing they “have been favorites of mine for years, because of their quality, personality, and exceedingly fair prices.” Ambonnay is known as Pinot Noir country, where extra clay and warm southern exposure lend themselves well to the red grape.

Courtier’s base “Cuvée Tradition” is simply exquisite grower Champagne at a remarkable price – every time we open it at the Depot it steals the show. It’s super expressive exploding from the glass with notes of spring flowers, pear, raspberries, herbs and brioche. At 6g dosage and a blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay it’s dry but full of fruit, and the texture is at once lush and crisp.

This is accessible, affordable, downright tasty Champagne, with seriously good pricing – full of character, flavor, and life.

____________________________

Coutier Champagne “Tradition” NV
bottle price: $54

Add to Cart

 

The 2022 red Burgundies are quickly becoming one our favorite recent vintages. From the warmest, driest year in recent memory, winemakers managed to craft vibrant and beautifully balanced wines, sporting low alcohol and classic Burgundian finesse. They’re modern in their sunny polish, but traditional in their middleweight, elegant textures. If this is the future of Burgundy, sign us up.

Philippe Cheron’s had some of his 2022 Bourgogne left when we made our purchase from him this year, and we snapped up more of this terrific entry-level wine. This is even better than a year ago, and easily the most impressive Bourgogne rouge we stock. From vines near Gevrey-Chambertin, this wine transcends the genre in a way few other Bourgognes do: humble in appellation, but striking in taste. Cheron used 100% whole clusters, adding definition to the dark fruit.

Don’t think of this like a regional wine – picture an extremely well-priced village level red. The nose is deep and beautiful with intense dark fruit but excellent lift – there’s a stony earthiness behind the plums that’s balanced and enticing. The mouth is clear, long, and nimble, bouncing from wild cherries to anise to black pepper and back to cassis. Burghound praised its “racy, delicious, well detailed flavors.” After a year in the bottle this is flat out delicious.

____________________________

Couvent Bourgogne Côte d’Or 2022
bottle price: $45

Add to Cart

 

Cyril Gautheron makes a wide range of wines from his family domaine in Chablis. They’re all from the same grape of course (Chardonnay), and all from the same town (Chablis). But the range from Petit Chablis up to Grand Cru covers an enormous range of terroir and expression. Each is carefully and beautifully crafted, leading Jasper Morris MW to call him “a superb producer.”

Among our favorites in 2023 was his Montmains Premier Cru – it’s an exceptional plot, with vines high on a southeast facing hill planted in the 1940s. The balance is just beautiful, with good roundness in the mouth, plenty of freshness at the same time, and extraordinary persistence on the palate.

The 80+ year age of these vines has something to do with the exceptional results, but vinification also plays a part. For a part of this wine Cyril has used a 3500 liter wooden cuve tronconique (a cone lopped off at the top to make a truncated cone). It delivers micro-oxygenation without much movement of the lees, retaining freshness and focus while adding depth. This is superb white Burgundy, available for half the cost of Meursault.

____________________________

Gautheron Chablis 1er Montmains VV 2023
bottle price: $52

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

Most Burgundy drinkers are familiar with the Clos Vougeot, a 12th century castle surrounded by an enormous Grand Cru vineyard. It’s a cultural and viticultural landmark of Burgundy – impeccably preserved, and worth a stop on your next visit to the region. But even seasoned collectors are usually less familiar with the rest of the appellation of Vougeot.

Indeed about 80% of the vines in the town of Vougeot are part of the enormous Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, but the other 20% covers some exceptional premier crus, including “Petits Vougeots,” which borders both Clos Vougeot and Le Musigny over the border. Justine Clerget’s plot here produces impressive wines, bolder than her tasty village Chambolles and approaching the concentration of the nearby Grand Crus. Broad, sturdy and delicious, this is not a wine you’ll soon forget.

This wine has many years of cellar potential ahead of it – we’ve got some tucked away with a 10-year timeframe. But even today it’s concentrated and delicious, and with a flavorful meal – BBQ pork shoulder or this eggplant pasta – it will wow your guests. Give it an hour in a decanter and you’ll too feel surrounded by Grand Cru energy.

____________________________

Clerget Vougeot 1er “Petits Vougeots” 2022
bottle price:$125
3+ price: $106.25 (use code PASPETIT)

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

Alsace is a gorgeous winegrowing region – bucolic hillsides of vines surround fairytale villages on a sunny, east-facing ridge. Its wines can be similarly charming: expressive and delicate with beautiful fruit and vibrant textures. Our source here, the Domaine Charles Frey, is a family of committed biodynamic vingerons, producing wines of freshness and balance.

Lots of people are scared of Riesling, burned by too-sweet or unbalanced versions of the grape. But fermented fully dry, Riesling can be a revelation – no grape more deftly communicates its stony terroir, and most sommeliers or wine professionals put it at the top of their list of favorite varietals.

Frey’s Riesling “Granite” 2023 is everything you want in a Riesling. It is brisk and stony, with just hints of petrol over a core of lean yellow fruit. It’s lightweight, crisp, and full of life. The food pairings are endless – aim for anything that particularly matches unoaked wine, from sushi or sashimi to oysters on the half shell to fresh goat cheese. Or this spicy grilled shrimp.

____________________________

Frey Riesling 2023
bottle price: $22

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

No Ansonia winemaker has captured more readers’ attention in the last few years than Pierre Vessigaud. We get emails with comments like “the wines are so alive,” and “as good as Meursault but half the price.” We’re not surprised – we find ourselves reaching for Vessigaud’s wines more often every month.

Pierre and his wife and son are committed biodynamic vignerons whose wines are Demeter certified, the highest organic classification. In the bottle this translates to superb purity and clarity, with careful elevage and excellent balance. His finest wines are his two premier crus, and today we’re excited to offer the 2022 from “Vignes Blanches.” It’s a convincing argument for Pouilly-Fuissé’s newly elevated appellations.

Vessigaud’s 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er cru “Vignes Blanche,” is rich, smooth, and vibrant, with unusual power and depth. Even at this level Vessigaud eschews new oak, opting for 5-year-old demi-muids (large 600L barrels) for a year. He’s right, of course – the wine wants for nothing, showing notes of brioche, pear, and chalk with a long, sleek, shimmering finish. “This is achingly good – simply excellent wine,” writes Nanson. We’ve served this alongside premier crus from the Côte d’Or and it has more than held its own.

____________________________

Vessigaud Pouilly-Fuissé 1er “Vignes Blanches” 2022
bottle price: $54

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

Chateau Cantemerle is an extremely old Bordeaux property dating back to the 12th century, and recognized as a “fifth growth” in the 1855 classification. Today they produce a serious, well-priced Left Bank Bordeaux that hits a terrific balance of value, polish, and drinkability. The blend is roughly ⅔ Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

This year we’ve sourced the 2020 Cantemerle, and now five years after harvest it’s just beginning to drink beautifully – there are many happy years ahead, but it’s a delight already. The nose is outstanding, gorgeous, and deep, showing wild cherries, tobacco, and just a hint of spice. The mouth is sturdy and extremely well built, with tremendous concentration and a long impeccably balanced finish. There’s dark, rich fruit, solid structure, and impressive freshness.

The critics were fond of this bottling as well. James Suckling found “layers of well-integrated, finely polished tannins…with a fresh and lively fruit-forward palate.” William Kelley found “aromas of rich black fruits, plums, pencil shavings and forest floor…broad and fleshy, with ripe, powdery structuring tannins and a nicely defined finish.” It’s a classical, impressive Cabernet blend that drinks well above its price point.

____________________________

Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc 2020
bottle price: $52

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

Vincent Boyer continues to steer his family’s Meursault domaine with tact and style. His sister Sylvie joined him a few years ago – her passion is viticulture, and her focus on the vineyards has freed Vincent up to focus on cellar work. Today the frère-et-soeur team is at the top of their game, turning out magnificent wines year and year out.

The Boyers’ village-level Meursault “Ormeau” cuvée comes from vines in clay rich soil planted by the siblings’ grandmother in 1924 – celebrating their centenary last year. Ormeau is prototypical Meursault: rich, opulent, shimmering white Burgundy that fills out the mouth. As always with Boyer the balance is impeccable – Burghound cites “underlying tension” and “a subtle bead of minerality” with a “clean and nicely dry finale,” concluding “delicious.”

If you’ve heard white Burgundy described as “weight without heaviness,” then you know what this wine is like. It’s packed full of fruit and flavor, but carries tremendous lift. Serve this with something impressive – lobster risotto, for instance – or use as an aperitif to set the mood for a grand meal.

____________________________

Boyer-Martenot Meursault “Ormeau” 2022
bottle price:$99
3+ bottle price: $85.15   (use code 1924)

Add to Cart

 

Sablet is a classic Southern Rhône town. Its 9th century streets are home to 1400 residents, a couple of boulangeries, and a handful of restaurants and wineries. Winemaker Eric Chauvin is a Sablet resident (also a volunteer firefighter), and it’s also the location of his tiny excellent Domaine le Souverain. We usually purchase Eric’s terrific Séguret, made from vines in the next town over, and indeed the 2023 Séguret is in stock and terrific.

But this year his homegrown Sablet caught our eye. Like the Seguret, this wine is entirely vat-raised. It is made from 55% Grenache and 30% Syrah, with the balance from Mourvedre. The Sablet 2022 offers the same rich and round mouthfeel, but the Mourvedre adds a dark cherry tone to the fruit. Eric said that the Mourvedre “helps to hold the fruit,” and indeed the added complexity made the wine even more attractive.

We’re not alone in being attracted to this wine — it was selected by the Guide Hachette, whose blind-tasting panels review thousands of wines every year. Serve this on a weeknight with a dressed up burger.

____________________________

Souverain Sablet 2022
bottle price: $25

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

Pierre Gros, winemaker at the domaine Michel Gros, makes 15 cuvées of red Burgundy, and a single cuvée of white. Pierre’s grandfather Jean first planted vines here 50 years ago, and identified a single plot as well-suited to Chardonnay. (It turned out later he was proven right when a geological survey showed the vineyard contained a soil composition very similar to nearby Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne.)

Pierre lets his white grapes sit on the skins for a few hours before pressing, and the resulting wine is full of length and texture. It’s always aromatic and floral, like something between a St-Aubin and a Maconnais white. It’s barrel-raised with has plenty of concentration to support the wood.

The 2022 is fleshy and lively, showing the rich fruit of the warm summer, but the cool minerality of high-elevation chardonnay. There’s gardenia and magno in the nose, and the mouth shows grapeskin and chalk, with an unusually vibrant and gourmand texture this year. Pair with a lobster or asparagus risotto.

____________________________

Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits blanc
“Fontaine St-Martin” 2022
bottle price:$42
3+ bottle price: $35.70   (use code FSM)

Add to Cart

 

Last year we introduced Nicolas Ragot’s terrific Givrys to our portfolio, and they’ve been a real hit. Ragot is a thoughtful winemaker with a real innovative streak – he’s constantly refining his techniques, experimenting with amphoras, whole clusters, and even lighter weight bottles. He’s part of an exciting wave of winemakers pushing the limits on what’s possible from once humble appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise.

Ragot’s best wine is his Givry 1er cru Clos Jus, from perhaps the best known vineyard in Givry. The soil here has excellent drainage and unusually high iron oxide content. The resulting wines show a lovely balance of charming aromatics and refined mouthfeels. Ragot’s 2023 Clos Jus is terrific – 85% raised in barrel (40% new) and the rest in amphora, with 25% whole cluster. This recipe makes for a serious red Burgundy, and the wine has the presence and texture of a village-level Gevrey-Chambertin.

The nose is dark and sappy with impressively complex layers of spice, blackberry, cherry and stones. The mouth is rich and dense but with exceptional tension and freshness – it’s a dynamic wine in a way that much sub-$50 red Burgundy is not. Neal Martin of Vinous gave it 91 points, finding a “bouquet of crushed strawberry, cranberry and lightly pressed flower.” In the mouth he noted “fine tannins, well balanced and refined,” concluding “this is another delicious Givry from Nicolas Ragot.”

____________________________

Ragot Givry 1er “Clos Jus” 2023
bottle price: $49

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

The 2022 red Burgundies arrived about a year ago, and they’ve quickly become a reader favorite vintage. From the warmest, driest year in recent memory, they are nonetheless vibrant and beautifully balanced, sporting low alcohol and classic Burgundian finesse. It’s a magnificent vintage, and one we expect to enjoy for many years to come.

One particular success are the reds of Roger Belland, whose cuvées are universally delicious, and always well priced. His Santenay 1er cru “Gravières” 2022 is a triumph – loads of dark cassis and violet fruit packed into a solid and inky core of fruit and minerals. And all wrapped up in a neat, classy, 13% alc. package.

Burghound loved this wine, awarding it both “Outstanding” and “Top Value” designations. He found “fine volume and richness,” with “an opulent mid-palate mouthfeel,” calling the finish “firm and serious.” It’s juicy modern red Burgundy, but with perfect ripeness and an old-school texture. We enjoyed this recently with grilled chicken, and recommend the match.

____________________________

Belland Santenay 1er “Gravières” 2022
bottle price: $48

Add to Cart

 

We have worked with the Vessigaud family for just a few vintages, but there’s no producer we’re more excited to have in our portfolio. Vessigaud’s Demeter certified (the highest Biodynamic level) winemaking is clear, consistent and outstanding. White Burgundies from the Maconnais are gaining attention for their quality and value these days – all you need to understand why is a glass of Pouilly-Fuissé from Vessigaud. As William Kelley writes, “succulent but serious, any bottle bearing Vessigaud’s label is worth seeking out.”

The Pouilly-Fuissé “Vieilles Vignes” 2023 is the principal cuvée of the domaine, made from 20 small parcels scattered across the Fuissé part of the appellation. The vines range from 40 to 70 years old, face all four points of the compass, and grow in a variety of marl, clay and limestone soils. Elevage for this cuvée is 80% in larger, older, oak barrels, and 20% in concrete vats, all for 18 months. The result is a wine of excellent balance and complexity. A series of very hot days at the end of the 2023 growing season concentrated the grapes, both in freshness and ripeness, making this a big, well balanced Pouilly-Fuissé.

This is simply outstanding white Burgundy – in class with village Meursault or Chassagne, at half the price. If you’re a white wine fan who has yet to investigate what’s going on in the Maconnais these days, you owe it to yourself to have a look. And if you’re as familiar and excited about it as we are, this is as good a value as it gets.

____________________________

Vessigaud Pouilly-Fuissé VV 2023
bottle price: $42

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

The Viré-Clessé from Forces Telluriques has become one of the most popular white Burgundies in our portfolio – and not for lack of competition. It’s magnificent, unoaked, biodynamic Chardonnay, and while you won’t find the Forces Telluriques label on any CellarTracker accounts (except Ansonia customers), but the wine in the bottle is from an iconic Mâconnais source with an exclusive importer for the primary label.

The family who creates this wine are true believers in the theory of biodynamics — minimal vineyard intervention in the vines, meticulous and hands-off winemaking. William Kelley calls them “one of the best producers in the Mâconnais “ producing “ honeyed, concentrated wines that are imbued with remarkable concentration and energy.”

The 2021 has stood out as uniquely delicious recently. Amid a collection of warm, dry vintages (2018, 2020, 2022) the 2021 vintage brought cooler and wetter weather, resulting in more botrytis than usual in the vines. This “noble rot,” generally considered a malady in Côte d’Or white Burgundies, is traditionally embraced in the Maconnais. The resulting wine is perfectly dry, but with exquisite, delightful notes of botrytis alongside the classical yellow fruit.

The 2021 Forces Telluriques is a triumph. The domaine harvested slowly, over about 15 days, achieving 13.2% naturally – a real feat in a cool vintage. The resulting wine is superb, showing ripeness without weight, a wine that is lively and alive. The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley gave 93 points, finding “Aromas of clear honey, white flowers, beeswax and sweet spices” calling it “a suave and vibrant wine that’s satiny, bright and fine-boned, concluding with a bright, gently exotic finish.”

____________________________

Forces Telluriques Viré-Clessé 2021
bottle price: $45

Add to Cart

 

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

Regular readers will know Gautier Desvignes, the humble, friendly, thirtysomething winemaker who has transformed his modest family domaine into a top name in the region. William Kelley writes that Desvignes is “one of the leading lights in the Côte Chalonnaise,” and we wholeheartedly agree.

Gautier’s 2022s show a talented winemaker firing on all cylinders. He has refined his cellar technique considerably, using gentler extractions, and focused his barrel work through exhaustive (some might say obsessive) experimentation and tasting. The resulting wines easily rival reds from the Côte d’Or in detail and complexity, and simply blow them away on price.

Gautier’s Givry 1er cru “Grand Berge” is from vines just in back of the domaine, and is the friendliest of the Desvignes premier crus. The 2022 is lovely and welcoming – dark and floral with a dose of toast and a rich, jammy complexion. The vintage provides ample concentration but no heat. Look for raspberry and violets, and a clean medium weight finish. Serve this with a mushroom risotto.

____________________________

Desvignes Givry 1er “Grand Berge” 2022
bottle price: $42

Add to Cart